Executive Coaching
Oh, Give It Up Already!
I worked with a client today around a colleague and friend of his he says is a pain in the bumm (my word, not his) to deal with. I listened to the story I know well (he’s tells it frequently)
before I got tired of it.
I said, “I could be wrong here. Throw away what I’m about to say if it’s totally useless to you - Aren’t you tired of being frustrated and angry?”
He said, “I’m not angry, He’s angry.”
“Really?” I said.
“You think I’m angry?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied, to his surprise.
There is something real and useful in the notion that we see in others aspects of ourselves. Sometimes we project onto other people qualities that we possess (like anger) or qualities we think we do not possess (like wisdom, intelligence, beauty–and…
You’re Not Crazy - It’s Hard.
If you have ever wondered if you’re crazy because managing people seems harder than it should be, let me assure you, you are not crazy. It is hard.
Here’s the thing, if your career followed the common path (not that you’re not extraordinary, mind you!) you
began early on with some academic knowledge about your field of study, took a job that allowed you to apply that knowledge in “the real world,” had that knowledge severely tested by every day challenges and problems, and managed through hard work and good old Puritan work ethic to develop a growing expertise at it. Then you were promoted based on that expertise into a role with more responsibility and authority. You did so well you were promoted into management. That’s when things got crazy.
The instant…
My Size Fits All - Not
I spent several hours today cruising the web looking for people with something to say about leadership. As a scholar-practitioner I was looking to discover some kind of pattern to what is “out there” on the subject.
Most of the people talking about leadership in the sites I visited fall into three categories: executives who claim success in “leading” an organization; people like me who claim to have had some success in some field of work and now consult to people who have organizational problems or needs they want to address; and professors in universities or PhD-holders in a related field working in some form of education in some kind of organization, either for- or not-for-profit.
Was It Really Leadership?
The most interesting thing about all of this, though, is how infrequently the…
Life in the PhD Lane…Sure to Make You Lose Your (Old) Mind
Well, it’s official; I’m a doctoral student. I just can’t keep away from the universities around here, I guess. I plan to finish in 2013.
I love it. It’s a little tough to blend school and work, but it’s no more complicated than for those of you who combine work and a vibrant family life. And to those of you who do all three - hats off!
The best 7 things about doing a PhD are:
1) Being a member of and really feeling part of a learning community of scholar- practitioners who are dedicated to making work life much easier, more productive, and truly fulfilling for everyone, not just the people in the C-suite;
b) Having access to the minds and hearts of some really bright and accomplished people;
3) Having access to world-class research…
